Pipe-wrench



PIPE-Wannen'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Application led March 21, 1919. Serial No. 284,086.

To all .whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. .WAL-Y DEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city and county of Worcester, in theCommonwealth of Massachusetts,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Wrenches, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The object of this invention is the construction of a pipe wrench ofstrength and durability lbut of v maximum economy of manufacture. l

To this end, the handle portion Vof the wrench is composed of a singlelength of steel rod bent over upon itself, and havingthe extremities ofthe bifurcations provide with suitable jaws.

In the drawings forming part ofk this specification, Figure 1 'is a sideview of the preferred form of my invention, Fig. 2 is a detail sectionalview thereof. Fig. 3 is a section through 1-1 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is asection through 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a side view of amodification. l The steel rod, bent over upon itself in a hairpin form,is composed of two parallel arms 2 and 3. vThe arm 3 isintroduced withina shank 4 of a jaw 5, this shank being considerably elongated andfastened thereon by oneor more rivets 6. From the rear end of the shankrises an ear 7 formed with a slot 9 disposed for receiving the arm 2 andpermitting a limited play toward and from the arm 3.

The arm 2 is slidable in the jaw 10, being kmade rectangular to keep thejaw from turn- 'ing thereon; or, the jaw 10 may be formed with lips 11slidably clasping the shank 4, or both said means may be employed forthe purpose, as illustrated. The terminal portion of the arm 2 isthreaded as indicated in 'Figs 1 and 2, and upon this threaded portionis a knurled nut 12 fitting loosely between the rear of the jaw 10 and afinger 13, so that by rotating this nut the jaw 10-is moved toward orfrom the jaw 5 and the wrench thereby adjusted for pipes of differentdiameters.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 5 differs from the constructionshown inthe remainder of the drawings mainly iny dispensing with theadjusting nut, the yarm 2 being rigidly fastened in the jaw 1o. The en 7y also differs slightly from that firstvdescribed,l by being slightlyoblique to the shank 4 in a Vnanner to permit the rear 14 of the jaw 10to rest snugly against the ear and yet to permit the jaw to lbe swungtoward the shank 4, a movement which naturally causes the rear 14 toslightly approach the ear, and if the latter were at right angles to theshank 4, it would bind and interfere with the required action. Y

In using the wrench shown in Fig. 5, the jaws 5, 10 are applied to thesection of piping to be forcibly. turned, and the handle consisting ofthe arms 2, 3 is pressed toward the left hand, supposing the wrench tobe positioned as illustrated. As the teeth 15 of the jaw 5 bite into thepiping, the smooth surfaced jaw 10 is forced into Contact with `theshank 4 and seats itself there while the piping is being turned. Whenpressure is released on the handle in order to swing the jaws to a newVgrip, the spring of the arms 2, 3 causes the jaw 10 to leave the shank4, and thereby loosens the grip on the pipe. Without this resilientmovement the two jaws would receive a grip on the pipe so permanentandxed that considerable exertion would be needed for releasing the holdon the pipe, with a resultant effect of scratching and marring thelatter; but thus made resiliently yielding, the Wrench can be used forforcibly turning piping without injury thereto and with minimum eort.

The operation of thek preferred form of my invention is substantiallythe same as that just described, with'the exception that in case thepipe is found too large in diameter to suitably come between the jaws 5,10 when near together, the knurled nut 12 is rotated until the jaws aresufficiently sepas.

rated to serve the purpose. The function of the finger 13 is to causethe movable jaw 10 to be held from sliding away from the nut and hencefrom rattling and dislodgment.

What I claimis:

A pipe wrench comprising a resilient metal rod bent over upon itself tocompose two parallel arms, a toothed jaw having a shank entered by andfastened lupon the end of one of said arms, a jaw slidably entered bythe other of said arms and having means for its longitudinal adjustmentthereon, said 2 i A1535x5511' shank having a slotted earl engaging thelastmentionedarm andfbeing elongated to provide ample space between saidear at'one end and the jaw at its other, said shank being of uniformwidth and parallel with said arms, and the movablejaw having-two lipsproj eeting therefrom to slidably engage said.

shank both to move longitudinally therealong and to permit the movablejaw to swing toward and from it. 10 In testirnonjrr that I claim theforegoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th dayof March,1919.

FREDERICK E. WALDEN.V

